Moving to the New Forest

I've only cycled there once, killing time one evening between site visits. On the whole it was quite enjoyable although it had those 'sticky' roads for want of a better term where they took more effort than they should have done.

I did have to do a brief section of A road that I think was the A338 and I felt really vulnerable on there, not helped by there being probably the largest potholes I've experienced on a main road and the traffic not allowing me to move out and avoid them. I certainly wouldn't choose to ride on it again. It was possibly the most nervous I've been cycling in roads other than when I was riding from Newhaven to my home town with a group of French and German cyclists who insisted on taking the A27 into Portsmouth where it is effectively motorway (they eventually saw sense and we scrambled down some banks to the old road).

On the whole it was an OK ride, not somewhere I'd travel to in order to do some cycling but then I'm lucky to have been brought up cycling in one of the best areas for it in the UK (certainly the southern half).

Pross said:

I've only cycled there once, killing time one evening between site visits. On the whole it was quite enjoyable although it had those 'sticky' roads for want of a better term where they took more effort than they should have done.

I did have to do a brief section of A road that I think was the A338 and I felt really vulnerable on there, not helped by there being probably the largest potholes I've experienced on a main road and the traffic not allowing me to move out and avoid them. I certainly wouldn't choose to ride on it again. It was possibly the most nervous I've been cycling in roads other than when I was riding from Newhaven to my home town with a group of French and German cyclists who insisted on taking the A27 into Portsmouth where it is effectively motorway (they eventually saw sense and we scrambled down some banks to the old road).

On the whole it was an OK ride, not somewhere I'd travel to in order to do some cycling but then I'm lucky to have been brought up cycling in one of the best areas for it in the UK (certainly the southern half).

Basically mirrors my experience... average cycling and some roads where I felt unsafe... and I race on the A45 dual carriageway, which in comparison feels very safe.

If I lived there, I'd probably find good routes (or seek to move to the IoW), but like Pross, it's not somewhere I will travel again for the sake of an outdoors holiday.

ugo.santalucia said:

Pross said:

I've only cycled there once, killing time one evening between site visits. On the whole it was quite enjoyable although it had those 'sticky' roads for want of a better term where they took more effort than they should have done.

I did have to do a brief section of A road that I think was the A338 and I felt really vulnerable on there, not helped by there being probably the largest potholes I've experienced on a main road and the traffic not allowing me to move out and avoid them. I certainly wouldn't choose to ride on it again. It was possibly the most nervous I've been cycling in roads other than when I was riding from Newhaven to my home town with a group of French and German cyclists who insisted on taking the A27 into Portsmouth where it is effectively motorway (they eventually saw sense and we scrambled down some banks to the old road).

On the whole it was an OK ride, not somewhere I'd travel to in order to do some cycling but then I'm lucky to have been brought up cycling in one of the best areas for it in the UK (certainly the southern half).

Basically mirrors my experience... average cycling and some roads where I felt unsafe... and I race on the A45 dual carriageway, which in comparison feels very safe.

If I lived there, I'd probably find good routes (or seek to move to the IoW), but like Pross, it's not somewhere I will travel again for the sake of an outdoors holiday.

I've been underwhelmed by the New Forest. I guess it might be better than places around it, and 'pleasant' in places, but it didn't strike me as anything exceptional. But it is all comparative, I'll admit.

Quite.

Given the amount of organised sportives there are, it's not like the routes are hard to find.

I actually live the other side of the village but my grandparents used to live in the big house diagonally opposite the pub (durmast) and my best friend and other grandparents lived up southfield lane - so the white buck is a well known stomping ground.

That said - it's changed hands a few times now and owned by Fuller's. Nowadays it's nowhere near as nice as Queens Head in the village centre

Pross said:

Ben6899 said:

shirley_basso said:

I live right by where ugo stayed.

Small world...


Anyway, I’d love to put a route together for Ugo, Pross and Brian. Because, if you know where you’re going, there are some great days of cycling available in the New Forest.

I'm sure there are, I just suspect there are plenty of places where there is better. I rode there as I was in the area and it was fine other than that short section of A road but I'm lucky enough that if I was going to chuck the bike in the car for an hour or two I could be riding the spectacular and virtually empty roads of mid Wales.

As I say, it's all relative. I dare say there are a few nice rides you can put together the New Forest, but when you live in places where there are loads of stunning rides in pretty much every direction (well, apart from into the sea), other places can be a bit underwhelming. But then, I havent got to think of proximity to London.

shirley_basso said:

Can't stay in all year round is the issue.

Also 55k is cheap for those. 200k upwards for mudeford

I stayed at the Blackhouse at the end of mudeford quay years ago.

shirley_basso said:

What was it like? Photos looked good

It was really nice. It was expensive at the time, cant imagine what they charge now.

shirley_basso said:

200k upwards for mudeford

My parents bought a beach hut on Avon Beach last year. I don't know if I hope they didn't pay that much or not. I'd be surprised if they did. Either way it'll be nice to get down there to use it (and to see them) and to inherit it when the time comes

Jesus! I know that's a nice spot but still. Surprised there isn't a boom in beach hut construction the potential profits must be huge in some places.

So, once rising sea levels wash away all those beach huts in one major storm, what's the insurance going to pay for? Surely if they can't be rebuilt because the beach no longer exists, they'll give you a fraction of what you paid for...

ugo.santalucia said:

So, once rising sea levels wash away all those beach huts in one major storm, what's the insurance going to pay for? Surely if they can't be rebuilt because the beach no longer exists, they'll give you a fraction of what you paid for...

I would be very surprised if they were insurable, the ones at Southwold either get craned away in winter or risk getting smashed to matchsticks. The value is in the plot, if that disappears under the sea or over a cliff then buyer should have been beware

pblakeney said:

I wonder just what percentage are actually insured? 🤔

For the rebuild value? If you have spent £200k on a shed, why would you bother?

surrey_commuter said:

ugo.santalucia said:

So, once rising sea levels wash away all those beach huts in one major storm, what's the insurance going to pay for? Surely if they can't be rebuilt because the beach no longer exists, they'll give you a fraction of what you paid for...

I would be very surprised if they were insurable, the ones at Southwold either get craned away in winter or risk getting smashed to matchsticks. The value is in the plot, if that disappears under the sea or over a cliff then buyer should have been beware

Only the ones north of the pier and a few 'council' run ones.

Several of the more expensively placed ones ended up in the sea a few years ago due to a tidal surge.